Chapter 85: The Crimson Gold Empire

“Redgold Empire, Redgold Empire, where could it be... Ah! Here’s another record about the Redgold Empire... The library of the Magic Academy really is vast!... Huh, why isn’t there a blue bookmark here?” Ling Xiaolei quickly skimmed through the passage.

“Oh, this account has been retold by many people, so its credibility may be questionable... Perhaps the owner of the blue bookmark thought the same.”

Hei Yu strode into the library, glanced around, and saw a handful of students quietly reading at scattered tables in the reading area. He searched row by row among the towering shelves and finally found Ling Xiaolei behind a pile of books between two shelves.

“Hey!”

He grabbed Ling Xiaolei by the collar and lifted her out of the stack.

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!” Ling Xiaolei was startled, but seeing it was Hei Yu, she managed not to cry out. “This is a library, mind your manners!”

She dared not speak loudly, but her eyes nearly popped out, and she hurriedly smoothed her clothes.

“You’re back?”

“Of course. I was worried that without me, someone wouldn’t even be able to handle a basic demon beast, so I came back to help you.”

“It’d be better if you hadn’t returned! These days without training have been so peaceful.”

Hei Yu sat on the table, weighing a heavy book in his hands, and leaned in mysteriously toward Ling Xiaolei.

“Well, that’s over now. The good days are finished. So, want to go train in Twilight Forest today?”

“All the forests outside the city are still sealed off; we can’t go.”

“The blockade hasn’t been lifted yet?”

“Of course not. There are still plenty of wandering demons outside. We can only go to the green fields on the outskirts; the forests beyond the river are off-limits. Unless you’re a high-level mage, or your team includes one, you won’t be allowed through!”

“How about we sneak across while the patrolling guards switch shifts...”

“No way! I knew you’d come up with some lousy idea. You may not fear the demons, but I do. If they bite you, you’ll turn into one of them!” Ling Xiaolei hugged her shoulders and rubbed her arms nervously.

“In any case, let’s head out. I need to check on Fire Dragon Fruit, and we can discuss it there...”

Hei Yu took hold of Ling Xiaolei’s collar and walked toward the library entrance. Only then did they notice their scholarly mentor, Crane Yin, sitting on a chair behind the Book of Ages, engrossed in his reading.

“Teacher Crane Yin!”

Ling Xiaolei called out excitedly.

This venerable elder, her personal tutor, was said to be the most knowledgeable person in the academy, often teaching her magical theory and history. Ling Xiaolei held him in deep respect.

“Hmm...”

Crane Yin, his white beard gleaming, lifted his head from the book, as if returning from profound contemplation. Behind him stretched a vast map of the magical continent, the land mass divided by four stone pillars into the east, west, south, north, and central regions, all surrounded by boundless seas.

“It’s you two.”

“Teacher Crane Yin, every time I see you, you’re reading the Book of Ages. With your knowledge, you must have memorized its contents long ago—why do you keep studying it?”

Crane Yin smiled kindly.

“Sometimes, what you see as truth is not truly the truth. There is still much that needs to be studied.”

Ling Xiaolei was bewildered. “Teacher, what do you mean?”

He stroked his long white beard, leaned back in his chair, and spoke leisurely,

“In magic history classes, nearly all teachers lecture according to the Book of Ages. I do the same—because, aside from that, we know no other way to teach...”

Ling Xiaolei pondered this.

“The truth of history, the origins of the continent—so many mysteries await our exploration.”

Ling Xiaolei’s thoughts deepened step by step. She raised her head, gazed at the map of the magical continent, and voiced the question that had long troubled her:

“For example, if the world was truly created by the gods, then each continent should be equal in size... Yet only the eastern continent is missing a piece, like an apple with a bite taken out of it. And what are the four stone pillars standing in the sea for? Where did the demons come from? How did the rifts in time and space form? There are so many questions needing answers...”

“Hahaha, exactly so.” Crane Yin nodded with surprise and delight. “Excellent, you’re a clever child. ‘Like an apple with a bite taken out’—that’s a very apt metaphor!”

Looking at the incomplete Eastern Continent, Ling Xiaolei asked,

“Teacher, have you ever heard of the Redgold Empire?”

“Redgold Empire!” Crane Yin exclaimed in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to know of that long-forgotten legend.”

“I’m fascinated by ancient history and often pore through old texts, searching for records of the Redgold Empire, but reliable sources are hard to find.”

Hei Yu tugged at Ling Xiaolei’s sleeve. “Hey, stop talking about history—let’s go train...”

Ling Xiaolei replied in a whisper, “Meeting Teacher Crane Yin is a rare chance. I want to ask about the Redgold Empire.”

“The Redgold Empire... a realm shrouded in legend.” Light shone in Crane Yin’s aged eyes. “It is said that, before the Thunder Clan, it was the ruler of the continent—the most prosperous and wealthy nation in history.”

“The wealthiest nation?” Hei Yu had never heard this before.

Ling Xiaolei quietly explained, “History after the Book of Ages was written by the Thunder Clan. Ancient history was recorded by the rulers of the time—the Redgold Empire. But after the war between humans and demons, the old history was erased.”

“Oh.” Hei Yu nodded, only half understanding.

“Statues in the square cast in gold, stairways in the palace paved with golden bricks, jewels and gold as common as earth...” Crane Yin described dreamily, “These accounts of the Redgold Empire are unforgettable and captivating. Here, have a look at this record...”

Teacher Crane Yin stepped down from the round platform, walked over to a bookshelf, and took out a book. He opened its ancient pages and carefully extracted a tattered sheet tucked behind the front cover, handing it to Hei Yu and Ling Xiaolei.

“This is a miner’s diary, though only scattered fragments remain.”

Ling Xiaolei took it gingerly, holding it flat in her palm. On it, ancient script was scrawled crookedly:

“Miners flocked from all corners... Ordinary torches could only reach the tenth level of the underground. The black mist grew thicker, and demons lurking in the darkness... Only the native miners, using flames ignited at their fingertips, ventured into depths untouched by any other...”